Even after the passing of the NFL’s trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs are still making additions. The Chiefs are reportedly signing former New England Patriots 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton to the practice squad, according to Ian Rapoport.

Thornton, a speedy wide receiver who ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, never reached his potential in New England. Thornton was released by the Patriots on November 16, giving him a chance at a change of scenery to revive his NFL career.

In 28 games with the Patriots, Thornton recorded 39 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns, with the majority of that production coming in his rookie season. Thornton, at No. 50 overall, was drafted shortly before the Chiefs selected wide receiver Skyy Moore at No. 54 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh selected George Pickens at No. 52, while Indianapolis took Alec Pierce at No. 53.

Back in April 2022, Jordan Foote of Kansas City Chiefs On SI mocked Thornton to the Chiefs with a fourth-round selection. Here’s what Foote had to say about Thornton during the pre-draft process:

“At 6-foot-2 and just over 180 pounds, Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton brings pluses and minuses with him to the NFL,” Foote wrote. “On one hand, he doesn’t handle physicality well at or near the line of scrimmage. He’s also very raw in terms of his route-running ability and is more of a straight-line receiver. On the other hand, he may be the fastest player in the 2022 receiver class and is able to track the ball well downfield and make a surprising effort on contested catches. The Chiefs could find ways to get the ball in Thornton’s hands down the field and over the middle of it, and his ceiling is higher than most Day Three wideouts. That’s worthy of a pick in and of itself.”

While the Patriots used a much more premium draft pick (No. 50) than Foote’s selection at No. 121, Thornton’s physical tools should remain roughly two-and-a-half years later. A speedster with room to improve as a route-runner? That sounds like a Chiefs special. Now KC lands Thornton at no cost.

Thornton could find a role in 2024, but it appears more likely that he’ll use the remainder of the ’24 season to learn the offense on KC’s practice squad while becoming comfortable with Andy Reid’s playbook before attempting to make the team as a full-time member in 2025.